Archie Fraser on the Push for Non-Swans Matches In Sydney

[TimeToShineFellas]

Sorry guys, didn't know if there was a link to this already, but I read this whilst having my lunch at work.... (bold refers to AF's paragraphs)

Source: http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/p ... 53753.html

Push for non-Swans matches in Sydney
Dan Oakes | February 18, 2008

ST KILDA chief executive Archie Fraser has foreshadowed AFL clubs other than the Swans playing each other in western Sydney while the league pushes ahead with a stand-alone team for the region.

AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick revealed in The Age on Saturday that the league planned to establish a team on the Gold Coast by 2011 and another in western Sydney by 2012.

Fraser said yesterday the league should aim for AFL football to be played every week in Sydney to pave the way for the new team, which would have an administrative base in the western suburb of Blacktown, but would play most of its home games at ANZ Stadium (formerly Telstra Stadium).

"You'd certainly want to be playing games there by 2010, I think, to whet the appetite of the locals and ensure there's footy out there every week," Fraser said.

"(But) you obviously can't do that just with the Swans playing there, so it might well mean that teams from all around the country have got to play games at (ANZ) Stadium.

"Potentially that means a modification of the existing fixture, it doesn't necessarily mean teams will lose their 11 home fixtures."

Fraser stressed that the Saints would be unlikely to play any home games in Sydney in the lead-up to the establishment of the new team.

"If there were additional games created to play up there and there was an opportunity to play up there, we'd definitely consider it, but I wouldn't be volunteering home games to play in Sydney," he said.

Fraser said there was no doubt the AFL, which he described as "the strongest national competition", should be moving into western Sydney, which, like the Gold Coast, has one of the fastest-growing population bases in the country.

The Saints boss said he believed that in 20 years' time, there would be no debate over the wisdom of establishing 17th and 18th clubs.

Swans chairman Richard Colless said last year that a second Sydney team would be "an act of lunacy and treachery … (which) would undo all the good work we've done".

"I think each club will make its decision based on the facts that the AFL provides, and each club will have a different view. It's not being right or wrong, and Richard's comments are probably right from the Swans' point of view," Fraser said.

"I wouldn't have thought that Mike Fitzpatrick or the executives at the AFL would be saying this if they didn't believe there was truly a terrific opportunity for the game. Sometimes you have to put your game-expansion hat on to consider some of the things that are being put up."

Fraser's comments came as Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett lashed the AFL for failing to consult clubs before announcing plans to establish the two new clubs.
"My main concern is that we find out about this and some of the detail through an exclusive interview with a journalist," Kennett said on SEN.

"Where's the business plan? I haven't seen a business plan at all for Sydney, or for Queensland. I'm not opposed to them having those thought processes, what I'm upset about is that, here we are on the eve of another season, people have been gearing up for this season, and all of a sudden we're reading in the papers visions that the AFL have that are not backed by a business plan."

AFL spokesman Patrick Keane said the AFL's plans for expansion were long-standing and had been discussed exhaustively and publicly. "We think we've said very clearly for a while that those are the two crucial areas for the AFL to move into," he said.

[iwantmeseats]

FFS, what the **** is in the water these days? How far can club/AFL admins SCREW the real grass roots supporters that keep the game alive?

Well here is a message for ya....you take home games away from us here in melbourne and play em interstate .....watch us leave in droves. You cannot push and and PUSH us and just expect us to keep coming back for more.

This is more directed at the AFL than our own Archie or other club officials, but only just! It seems with every day they are firmer and firmer in the corrupt back pocket of that disgusting dictatorship called the AFL.

It may sound innocent enough right now, but try and read between the lines

[joffaboy]

Oh no, how can we play in the west of Sydney with all those injuries the club lied to us about.

They may never let us come back.

We are all doomed I tell ya's DOOOMMMEEDDD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[iwantmeseats]

laugh it up joffaboy. the AFL relies on that attitude to screw melbourne based supporters to the wall by the scrot.

[joffaboy]

laugh it up joffaboy. the AFL relies on that attitude to screw melbourne based supporters to the wall by the scrot.

yup - I agree, whatever that means???????????????

Laughing it up -hahahahahahahahahahahahahaeeeerrrrrrrrrr

[SaintBot]

the important bit

Fraser stressed that the Saints would be unlikely to play any home games in Sydney in the lead-up to the establishment of the new team.

[iwantmeseats]

Not exactly telling em to go jump, is he ? Ill settle for unlikely for now, but I trust no one.

[lendog heaven]

Since the new board has taken over we've had utterances abt playing games on the gold coast and now archie's promoting fixtures in west sydney. We left launceston to the map of tassie hawks coz we hated the joint and no bludger can kick a goal down there and so we cld firmly establish ourselves as a melb club. The new regime (and archie) better come clean on their intentions so us fair dinkum supporters can let them know what we think. And ask archie what he'd think of celtic or rangers joining the EPL.

[saint66au]

this bit confused me...

"(But) you obviously can't do that just with the Swans playing there, so it might well mean that teams from all around the country have got to play games at (ANZ) Stadium.

"Potentially that means a modification of the existing fixture, it doesn't necessarily mean teams will lose their 11 home fixtures."

Please explain?? unless they are going to add extra rounds to the season just to play games up there..SOMEONE has to lose a home game

[james rose]

this bit confused me...

"(But) you obviously can't do that just with the Swans playing there, so it might well mean that teams from all around the country have got to play games at (ANZ) Stadium.

"Potentially that means a modification of the existing fixture, it doesn't necessarily mean teams will lose their 11 home fixtures."

Please explain?? unless they are going to add extra rounds to the season just to play games up there..SOMEONE has to lose a home game

some clubs have more than 11 home games so you could shift them to nuetrul games

[TimeToShineFellas]

some clubs have more than 11 home games so you could shift them to nuetrul games

Who would they be?

If you're referring to WA and SA teams playing each other, I highly doubt they would move their "derbies" to Western Sydney.

[saint66au]

this bit confused me...

"(But) you obviously can't do that just with the Swans playing there, so it might well mean that teams from all around the country have got to play games at (ANZ) Stadium.

"Potentially that means a modification of the existing fixture, it doesn't necessarily mean teams will lose their 11 home fixtures."

Please explain?? unless they are going to add extra rounds to the season just to play games up there..SOMEONE has to lose a home game

some clubs have more than 11 home games so you could shift them to nuetrul games

do they?? even though they might PLAY away.. at their home ground..ill think youll find each team has 11 home and 11 away games

[james rose]

yeah sorry you guys are right...

perhaps archie meant they'd all still get 11 games at thier home ground?

[riccardo]

The ground they are looking at developing is the Olympic baseball ground in Bankstown, and it supposedly would hold a mighty 10,000.

Reckon they wouldn't even fill it half way - sorry Archie, you're dreaming!

BTW, the day we become the West Sydney Saints is the day I fkuk AFL off for good.

[cowboy18]

The ground they are looking at developing is the Olympic baseball ground in Bankstown, and it supposedly would hold a mighty 10,000.

Reckon they wouldn't even fill it half way - sorry Archie, you're dreaming!

BTW, the day we become the West Sydney Saints is the day I fkuk AFL off for good.

My understanding is that Bankstown will be the training facility/local games site, and AFL games will happen at homebush.

We should play a few up here.

[brown-coat]

Weak supporters!

What's wrong with driving 12 hours to see the saints?

[Enrico_Misso]

"Potentially that means a modification of the existing fixture, it doesn't necessarily mean teams will lose their 11 home fixtures."

Please explain?? unless they are going to add extra rounds to the season just to play games up there..SOMEONE has to lose a home game

I think this might relate to the same mathematical genius at the AFL who deemed we should celebrate 100 years of VFL/AFL football in the 99th year of VFL/AFL football.